Dipankar’s blog

Lonely Beaches near to home (W. Bengal)

Chandipur:

For, the beach at Chandipur is distinct from any beach you have ever seen in your life. Here, the sea recedes into the horizon by nearly 5 km twice each day. If the thought of a receding sea makes the alarm bells ring in your head, relax and sit down on the sand and take in the beauty of this rare sight.

To enjoy Chandipur in all its entirety, a minimum stay of twenty-four hours is recommended.
Hardly 2 km away is Balaramgadi where the river Budhabalang meets the sea. A trip through the mouth of the meandering river on a fisherman’s boat is a pleasant experience. Watching them cast their nets and pull their catch of fish is memorable.
Excursion: There are a few places to which day trips can be made from Chandipur, OTDC has provision to organise conducted tours to some of the places.

Panchalingeswar: (45 km) Ensconced in the verdant of Nilagiri Hills with panoramic views around, it is a place of scenic beauty, sanctified by the five lingams over which runs a perennial stream. Popular as a Saiva Shrine, you have to lie flat on the rock parallel to the stream to touch and worship the lingams, which is itself as exciting as adventurous. Herds of elephants can be seen occasionally moving up and down the hill. It is also an ideal base for trekking the Nilagiri hills. There is a Panthasala of Orissa Tourism Department for night stay. (Reservation - Tourist Officer, Balasore, ph. 362048)

Remuna:(25 km) Famous for the shrine of Khirachora Gopinath, it is a seat of Vaishnavite culture for centuries. Sri Chaitanya, his teacher Madhavendrapuri and disciple jeevaswami Goswami are said to have visited the shrine and worshipped the lord. Khira (a special milk preparation) is the most delicious offering of the temple. Champak and Kadamba trees inside the courtyard fill the air with sweet and scented fragrance all the time.

Nilagiri: (40 km)
Harbouring the Kuldiha Sanctuary, which is also an ideal base for trekking, Nilagiri is known for the Jagannath Temple. Headquarters of an ex-princely state, set against the green mountain, it is a charming place on the lap of nature.

Sajanagarh: (45 km)
About 5 km from Nilagiri is Sajanagarh, the shrine of Bhudara Chandi. A seat of sakti cult, the place is archaeologically rich.

How to Reach:

Train: The nearest railhead is Balasore (17 km), car rental: Rs. 300-350. Balasore is 207 km from Bhubaneswar and 236 km from Howrah.

Some of the trains which stop at Balasore are: 2073/2074 Howrah Bhubaneswar Janashatabdi (no train on Sunday), 2837/2838 Howrah Puri Express, 8409/8410 Howrah Puri Sri Jagannath Express, 2821/2822 Howrah Bhubaneswar Dhauli Express, 6003/6004 Howrah Chennai Mail, 2703/2704 Faluknama Express, 8645/8646 East Coast Express, 6358/6357 Gurudev Express, 2863/2864 Howrah Yeshvantpur Express, 5228/5227 Muzaffarpur Yeshvantpur Express (weekly), 6355/6356 Kanyakumari Express (weekly), Howrah Tiruchirapalli Express (biweekly), 2508/2507 Guwahati Ernakulam Express (weekly), 2530/2509 Guwahati Bangalore Express (triweekly), 5628/5627 Guwahati Trivandrum Express (weekly), 5630/5629 Guwahati Chennai Egmore Express (weekly). For timings etc. check with Indian Railways

Air : Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar (230 km) and Kolkata (314 km).

Accommodation: Panthanibas (Orissa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.), Chandipur, Balasore 756 025, Tel +91 6782 270 051, email: otdc@ortel.net.in, Hotel Chandipur, Telephone +91 6782 270 640. and few more..

*Information collected from: http://wikitravel.org